Tuesday, January 13, 2009

One of the benefits of an economy collapse is having a mass scale realization that maybe we don't need as much as we want, and many things we do need can be handmade! Of course you can't make dollar bills cause it's against the law... but there are many other ways to save money and be creative. I truly believe that with industrialization and the mass manufacturing of everything we use that people don't feel as useful or inspired, causing some of the depression that has swept the nation over the last 20 years. Being creative is a basic need for emotional and mental health - and making not only crafts but things which are functional in our lives gives a sense of purpose and pride. A biological fulfillment you just can not ever get from shopping at walmart or the mall.

If you are feeling intimidated because you feel like you don't have sewing, crocheting, or building skills - Don't fret! The cool thing about having the Internet is that there are hundreds of tutorials for FREE on you tube that will show you just about any skill you could ever want to learn. Want to learn to sew a button on your shirt go here, want to learn to french braid your hair go here , want to build a cob house go here, or crochet a scarf go here. There are also instruction books in the library (for those who can actually learn from a book, unlike myself who needs to see real people do it). If you do have a little extra cash you can pay for classes or join groups... take a look in your local paper & you'll see right away there is a group or guild for just about any skill you can dream up!

When you are poor or eco minded (or both) and you don't want to D.W. (do without) then the inspired choice is to D.I.Y (do it yourself)!

4 comments:

I know just what you mean. I used to love knitting or crocheting in public, like on the subway, you see people just staring, mesmerized, it's a sight people aren't used to like they were a generation or two before. I think for some of the watchers, it had never occurred to them to make their own stuff.